Proverbs 14:15; A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step. Today's English Version. The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. The King James Study Bible
The simple believes every word : but the prudent man betakes himself to after-thought. The Septuagint from the Original Greek and including the English translation.
Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps. New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
I have mentioned that I have 12 Bibles, and the above is a good example of why. The meanings of the words become much clearer after reading three or more translations. Each translation is complete within itself, but..... so much clearer when several are used. Not to mention the errors that show up.
I find it curious as to how many people talk about the Bible, and their opinions of it, when they have not read it. Yet, they talk as if the opinions that they have, which came from others and not from their own research and understanding, somehow mean something.
Nothing could be further from the Truth, and, most opinions about the Bible are the same; nothing could be further from the Truth. That, my friends, is a shame.
Why? Because of all of the books ever written, only the Bible has stood the test of time, and, it has done so because it has proven to be trustworthy.
How so?
Because only a fool would go through life blindly accepting everything he hears, basing his decisoins and actions on frivolous advice or baseless teachings. If you think about it, this is exactly what has happened to America.
Get yer new credit card here and enjoy the American lifestyle to the fullest!
Get yer second mortgage here and deduct that interest from your taxes so you can have all the things you crave!
Get yer drugs here!
Get yer fast food here!
Send yer kids here (school-movies-whatever) so you are not bothered!
Get yer new cable channels here!
Subscribe to ------------ so you can learn all about the world!
And on and on endlessly.... and most Americans buy into the programs. Why? Because they no longer have a moral base by which to judge right from wrong. Instead, they have been programmed to accept the non-sense that comes from the widely distributed (garbage) books, the telly, and the government controlled education system.
Yet, in most homes, unopened, is the answer to their problems.
The Bible.
BUT.... the Bible is not what you have been told that it is, which is why so much of it is banned from what YOU think of as Christian churches. Why do you permit that?
The Bible is the most widely distributed book in history, The World Book Encyclopedia.
From Awake, November, 2007;
Over 500 years ago, the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg began printing with movable type. The first major book to come off his press was a Bible. Since then, billions upon billions of books on every subject imaginable have been printed. The Bible, however, is by far the most exceptional of them all.
It is estimated that more than 4.7 billion Bibles (in whole or in part) have been printed. That is more than five times the number of copies of the next most widely distributed publication; Quotations from Chairman Mao.
More than 50 million copies of the Bible or portions of it were distributed recently in one year alone. "The Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year," says a report in The New Yorker magazine.
In whole or in part, the Bible has been translated into more than 2,400 languages. At least some of the Bible is available in the languages spoken by over 90 percent of the human family.
About half of the Bible writers finished their writings before the birth of both Confucius, the renowned Chinese sage, and Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
The Bible has endured bans by governments, vurnings by religious opposers, and attacks by critics. No other bookn in history has faced greater opposition -- and survived.
The above facts are ourstanding, but impressive details and statistics alone do not prove that the Bible is trustworthy. Here are five reasons why millions of people are convinced that the Bible is worthy of trust.
1. Historical Soundness. No one has ever successfully challenged the historical accuracy of the Bible. It refers to real people and real events.
2. Candor and Honesty. The Bible writers were honest men who wrote with openness of heart. Their candor gives their writing the clear ring of truth.
My note; the above is particularly important. The historical record confirms that, as today, ancient rules NEVER permitted a record made of their defeats or shortcomings. We learn of such only form their enemies. However, the Bible writers openly admit their errors and misgivings. This is really an important and refreshing difference.
3. Internal Harmony. Imagine asking 40 men from varied backgounds to write a book, each writing a section. The writers live in a number of lands and do not all know one another. Some do not know what the others have written. Would you expect a book thus produced to be harmonious?
The Bible is such a book. (The Bible is a collection of 66 books, or subdivions, starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation.) Written under even more unusual conditions than those described above, its internal harmony is nothing less than profound.
Uniqe Circumstances. The Bible was written over a span of some 1,600 uyears, from 1513 B.C.E. to about 98C.E. Many of the approxiamately 40 writers thus lived centuries apart. Their occupations were varied. some were fishermen, others were shepherds or kings, and one was a physician.
A harmonious message. The Bible penmen developed one central theme; the vindication of God's right to rule mankind and fulfillment of his purpose by means of his heavenly Kingdom, a world government.
Agreement on details. The Bible writers agreed on even minute details, but often this harmony was clearly unintentional.
4. Scientific Accuracy. Science has made great strides in modern times. As a result, old theories have given way to new ones. What was once accepted as fact may now be seen as myth. Science testbooks often need revision.
The Bible is not a science textbook. Yet, when it comes to scientific matters, the Bible is noteworthy not only for what it says but also for what it does not say.
Free of unscientific views. Many mistaken beliefs gained wide acceptance in ancient times. Views about the earth ranged from the idea that it was flat to the notion that tangible substances or objects held it aloft. Long before science learned about the spread and prevention of disease, physicians employed some pratices that were ineffective at best, lethal at worst. But not once in its more than 1,100 chapters does the Bible endorse any unscientific views or harmful practices.
Scientifically sound statements. Some 3,500 years ago, the Bible stated that the earth is hanging "upon nothing." (Job 26:7) In the eighth century B.C.E., Isaigh clearly referred to "the circle [or, sphere] of the earth." (Isaiah 40:22) A spherical earth held in empty space without anyt visible or physical means of support -- does not that sound remarkably modern?
Written about 1500 B.C.E., the Mosaic Law (found in the first five books of the Bible) contained sound laws regarding quarentining of the sick, treatment of dead bodies, and disposal of waste. -- Leviticus 13:1-5; Numbers 19:1-13; Deuteronomy 23:13, 14.
Even though it is an acient book and touches on many subjects, the Bible contains no scientific inaccuracies.
5. Fulfilled Prophecy. The Bible is filled with predictions, or prophecies. Its record, as documented by history, is clear. Bible prophecy is always right.
Distinguishing features. Bible prophecies are often specific and have been fulfilled down to the smallest of details. They usually involve matters of great importance and predict the opposite of what those living at the time of the writing might have been expecting.
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The above details came from a Special Issue of the Awake! This issue is titled, Can You Trust the Bible? If you wish a copy, it is probably available, as it is freely printed and distributed by www.watchtower.org. On average, each issue of Awake is printed in 80 languages in 34,267,000 copies.
I have stated before that I am not a Jehovah's Witness. However, from what I have read, they, BY FAR, come closest to my understanding of the Bible, BASED on my own research and reading. And I find that many of their tracts are very accurate and Scriptually correct.
Now, the question that I have for you is.... are you reading the Bible, or, is the non-sense of the United States really that much more important?
As I have stated before, I have no debt. Why? Because I read the Bible. Pretty well sums it all up for me.